Mare's Prom and Party
by queen-sarcasm
Summary: It had been six months and Mary-Lynnette hasn't heard a thing from Ash. With her Prom and graduation coming up she finds herself being sent a dress from an unknown sender. Now she has no reason not to go. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Out of Excuses

**Chapter One – Out of Excuses**

_This is my first just Night World Fanfiction, I got inspired to write so I did. It is yet another 'Ash Comes Back' story, but I think mine is a bit different from them…_

… _I hope…_

_I think Rowan is the oldest; I'm not sure… well she is in this fic anyway._

_DISCLAIMER- I am not Lisa, if I was we would have Strange Fate by now._

_Please review and tell me what you think._

_The next chapter should be up soon – ish._

_So here it is: _

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"And if you have been living under a rock for the past six months I think I had better tell you that your are all graduating in just over a months time - "

The rest of Mr. Claydon's speech was cut out by the loud cheering that came from the boys in the back row.

When they calmed down, he continued.

"And with your Prom so near too," more cheering, "some of you had better smarten yourselves up."

The boys moaned, but the girls whispered excitedly.

The bell rang.

"Dismissed."

Bags pulled onto backs as the room burst into chatter about the upcoming prom, as the seniors left their High School.

"Have you even started looking for a dress yet, Mare?" Dainty blond Bunny asked her best friend Mary-Lynnette Carter.

"I don't need a dress as I am not going."

"Mare you have to go." Beautiful vampiress Kestrel Redfern informed her, "its tradition."

Mary-Lynnette was about to say there is nothing traditional about a vampire, but remembering she wasn't in school she changed her mind.

"I don't care," is what she settled on instead, "I'm going to graduate then leave. No prom. No dressed. No making a prat of myself."

"Why would you make a prat of yourself?" Bunny asked, climbing into the front seat of her ancient Ford.

Mary-Lynnette didn't answer. She just got in the passenger side.

"Is it because you don't have a date?" Kestrel asked, sliding gracefully into the back seat, "it doesn't matter, you can come with us."

"No chance," Mary-Lynnette stated, doing up her seatbelt and gazing out of the passenger window as Bunny pulled out of the small school parking lot.

Mary-Lynnette would love to let her hair down, have fun with her friends and enjoy her final month of school, be she was far too distracted by the fact that no one had heard from Ash in over six months.

Ash Redfern was Kestrel's elder brother, and Mary-Lynnette's Soulmate. He had left over ten months ago to attempt to make up for all of the sins he had committed, he called it slaying his dragons, and in all that time he had only rang twice. The first to say that Thierry Descouedres had finally excepted him into the Circle Daybreak, and the second to say that he has his cousin, James, had made up and both of those calls were made over four months ago. No on had heard a thing from him since.

"Bright red with straps to make the back, it touches the floor, even in my new stilettos." Kestrel was saying.

"You will look amazing Kes; I wish I could get way with something like that," Bunny sighed, pulling up in front of the Redfern sister's home.

The wooden house had had a lot of work done to it over the last year. The once splintered steps had been repaired and the half built fence had been completed. Rowan spent a good part of two days painting the outside of the house a pure white, making it sparkle in the sunlight.

Kestrel got out of the rusty, red car and began to head up the steps, turning at the door to say goodbye and shutting the new door behind her.

"It can't be legal to be that perfect," Bunny always had something to say about Kestrel after she left, it wasn't to be nasty or two-faced, but to complement her.

Mary-Lynnette laughed as Bunny headed to Mary-Lynnette's house, "You mean you can't be _human_ and be that perfect?"

"And that too," Bunny sighed, then was hit by a thought, "where's Mark?"

"Soccer practice. You only just noticed that he's not here?"

"Yes."

That was one of the things that Mary-Lynnette loved about Bunny, she was honest.

The car clunked to a stop outside Mary-Lynnette's, Mary-Lynnette got out; shut the door behind her, climbed around the car and lent thought the window.

"Thanks, I hate my truck being in the shop."

"No problem."

"How can I thank you?"

"Well…. You could come dress shopping with me tomorrow."

"You moan at me about getting one!"

"I know! Will you come?"

"Oh, I don't know…"

"Thanks Mare! I will pick you up at ten!" Bunny drove off before Mary-Lynnette had any time to think of an excuse not to go.

She sighed deeply and entered her house, removing her shoes and throwing her bag to the floor.

She blinked.

There was a large, flat, white box tied neatly with a black ribbon sitting on the table in the lounge.

Mary-Lynnette went over to the box and removed the plain white card that was tucked inside the ribbon.

"_Mare"_

There was no name.

Confused about who would send her such a carefully wrapped package, she slowly undid the ribbon and pulled off the lid.

Inside was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen.

It was made of a rich red velvet, with a corset patterned with black lace in the shape of flowers. Holding it up against herself she saw that it was the perfect length, it hovered centimeters from the floor.

Delicately she placed the dress back into the box and looked at the card.

There was only one word written on it, but it had stopped every excuse of her not going to the prom from working.

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_Oooh a secret admirer, well it's not but oh well._

_I hope you liked it!_

_I can not write long chapters to save my life so if future ones are longer that will be a miracle._

_Please review and tell me what you think._

_Be mean if you like!_

_Queen-sarcasm_

_xXx_


	2. Purple it is then

**Chapter Two – Purple it is Then**

_I was actually surprised at the amount of reviews I got for this; even with its very bad summary… well there isn't much Night World out there._

_Thank you for reading and reviewing my last chapter._

_I've made Bunny kinda like Alice from Twilight for this, I don't know if she really is a fashion obsessed as this as I haven't read DoD in so long._

_DISCLAIMER- I am not L.J. Smith, if I was you would have Strange Fate by now _

_So here is the next chapter for you:_

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Mary-Lynnette laid wide awake in her bed staring at the ceiling, listening to the rain that was stopping her from going outside and looking at the stars like she normally did on nights she couldn't sleep.

The clock on the side told her that it was 2:46 am. She had just over seven hours until Bunny dragged her around every clothes store within a fifty mile radius until Bunny found the perfect dress, which would be the first one she tries on.

Mary-Lynnette sat up and looked at the dress that was hanging on one of the hooks on the back of her bedroom door.

When Claudine had seen it when she got home she went mad with joy and insisted that she tried it on without even asking where it had came from. After struggling for a while on the ribbons that held the dress up, they discovered that, as Mary-Lynnette had expected, it fitted her perfectly.

Her dad had almost cried with joy when he discovered his only daughter in a dress and babbled on about how his little girl was all grown up.

Mark laughed and said "_isn't the bride meant to wear white and who is the groom?_" and ran off before Mary-Lynnette could catch him, which would be a difficult job in a full length dress that she couldn't breath in and stupidly high stilettos.

Mare turned to look at the photograph that was sitting on her bedside table. Even in the semi-darkness she could see Ash with his arm around her waist, with his huge lopsided grin on his face. Mary-Lynnette sighed at the happy memory and laid back down, wiping her warm tears on the sleeve of her pajama shirt.

**MaresProm**

The alarm wailed loudly at eight the next morning.

Mary-Lynnette pulled the pillow out from under her head and covered her face with it, in a poor attempt to drown out the noise of the alarm.

The door burst open.

"Come on Mare! Wakey Wakey!" Mark came running into the room and pulled the sheets of Mary-Lynnette's bed, causing her to curl up into a ball.

"Go away," she grunted.

"Nope!" Mark sung, "up, now."

They fought for a moment over the pillow, Mark won.

"Besides, you need to turn the alarm off, I don't know how."

Mare groaned and stretched for the clock and pressed the off button. She laid down again.

"What's with you?" Mark asked, "You are normally the one to drag me kicking and screaming out of bed. You are so lucky I don't sleep naked."

Mary-Lynnette laughed, she dragged herself out of bed and went on a search to find clothes.

Mark, of course, was very right, Mary-Lynnette was normally a morning person, but as she had only got three and a half hours sleep and she wasn't the kind of person who could run on very little sleep.

After hearing Mark leave the room she dragged herself down the hallway and into the bathroom and climbed into a hot shower, hoping it would wake her up.

Forty minutes later Mary-Lynnette staggered down the stairs in casual dark jeans and a white jumper pulled over her t-shirt.

She went into the kitchen to make herself breakfast and discovered Mark in there eating bacon.

"Where are dad and Claudine?" she asked, opening the cupboard and pulling out a bowl.

"Dno, they told me to wake you up and I did and now poof!" Mark used a huge arm gesture, "their gone."

"I think Jade is really bad for you, you know? Who are you and what did you do to my baby brother?" Mary-Lynnette asked pouring corn flakes into her bowl.

"Oh haha," Mark said sarcastically.

Mary-Lynnette poured milk over her cereal and sat beside Mark.

"No jokes now, how are you both?" she asked

"Alright I guess," Mark blushed.

Mary-Lynnette smiled, there her old baby brother was. Mark's vampire Soulmate, Jade was Ash and Kestrels younger sister, and over the past year she had transformed her brother into someone who was no longer shy and nerdy, but a lot happier and energetic.

There was a knock on the door.

Bewildered, Mary-Lynnette went to get it.

"Bunny? You're almost an hour early…"

"I know! I just couldn't wait any longer!" Bunny was hopping from one foot to the other, "Lets go," she grabbed Mary-Lynnette's arm and dragged her to the car.

"Wait, wait! I need my bag and coat and purse and –"

Mark appeared in the door way holding the bag and coat that Mary-Lynnette had layed out the night before.

"Mark I hate you," she hissed at him, pulling on the coat and putting the bag over one shoulder.

"I love you too Mare!" Mark called as Bunny speed of down the road.

"Hey Mark." Jade appeared at his side.

"Hey,"

Jade took his hand and led him back though the front door, closing it behind her

**MaresProm**

Bunny babbled on about which colour dress she would suit her the most as Mary-Lynnette gazed blindly out though the windscreen, up at the bight morning sky.

"_Even when we're apart, we'll be looking at the same sky" _the last thing that Ash had said to her before he left. She didn't think she would end up missing him this much, but she did.

"Mare are you listening to me?" Bunny's voice broke though Mary-Lynnette's thoughts and brought her back to earth.

"Sorry Bun," Mary-Lynnette turned to her, "thinking, tired and hungry."

"Well stop thinking about Ashy-boy, sleep more and we will stop for food later."

"Who said I was thinking about Ash?" Mary-Lynnette asked.

"You always look at the sky when you think about him." Bunny stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Mary-Lynnette hadn't noticed she did that until that moment, but she knew it was true.

"I didn't get to sleep 'til four this morning, and I wouldn't be hungry is someone," she stared at Bunny, "hadn't dragged me out before I got my breakfast."

"Oh well I'm sorry," Bunny said sarcastically, "I need to be perfect, I would look so stupid stood next to Kestrel in my Jeans and tee wouldn't I?"

"No you wouldn't, Kestrel is just lucky to be like that."

Bunny sighed and returned to driving and Mary-Lynnette returned to her world.

Half an hour later they pulled up in front of the first of many dress and clothes stores that day.

"Oh I don't know!" Bunny cried, six stores later, looking down at the simple baby pink dress she was wearing, "do you think this looks alright?"

Mary-Lynnette looked at her best friend, "You look really pretty…"

"Hmmm." Bunny said returning to the dressing room, and appearing again minutes later in a full length dress of a deep blue."

"The blue," she span, "or the Pink?"

"I don't know; the blue?"

"Purple it is then!"

Mary-Lynnette looked at Bunny confused as she changed back into her clothes.

"Oh my! I am so stupid!"

"What is it?" Mary-Lynnette asked, standing from the seat that she had been sat in for the past hour.

"I already have the perfect dress!" Bunny re-appeared, doing up the button on her jeans.

"You do?"

"Yes! That one my aunt sent me for Christmas! The white one!"

"With the pink bits?" Mary-Lynnette, vaguely remembered.

"Yes that one!" Bunny gave the dressed back to the shop assistant, apologized that none of them were right and dragged Mary-Lynnette back to her car.

**MaresProm**

"This one!" Bunny pulled the white dress with pink ribbons and bows on it out of her wardrobe and held it up against herself.

"What do you think?"

"I like it; I would look stupid and pale in it."

"I know," Bunny returned to her wardrobe and pulled a simple black dress out of it, "this one would work though." She handed it to Mary-Lynnette.

"Oh… I don't know…" she still hadn't told her about the velvet dress that Ash had sent her.

She didn't have any proof that it was from him, she just convinced herself that it was.

"Oh go on Mare!" Bunny shoved Mary-Lynnette into the small bathroom and insisted that she tried it on.

Minutes later the two seniors looked at themselves in the full length mirror in Bunny's cluttered bedroom.

Mary-Lynnette in black and Bunny in white.

"We look like good and evil…" Mary-Lynnette looked at her reflection.

"So? Everyone knows that we are best friends, so we HAVE to match!"

"But we don't…"

"So?"

Mary-Lynnette sighed, in defeat.

She now had two dresses that she could wear, so now she really didn't have a reason not to go.

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_The end of another chapter!_

_Can someone tell me how an American graduation/Prom thing happens? I'm a Brit and we do things differently here I'm guessing._

_Please review._

_Queen-sarcasm_

_xXx_


	3. Some Good Friends

**Chapter Three – Some Good Friends**

_Thank you to xxx Queen of Slayers xxx, who gave me some ideas about where to steal a prom from._

_Thank you for all of your reviews_

_DISCLAIMER – I am not Lisa, or Night World would be a movie series and you would have Strange fate by now._

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After the dress shopping fiasco, Mary-Lynnette tired to stay in a mad mood with Bunny, but as the two have them had known each other for so long she couldn't bring herself to do it, even though she really wanted to.

The black dress Bunny had given her was on a hanger next to the red one she still hadn't told anyone outside her family about. She had a feeling that the Redfern sisters might know. As Mark would have told Jade, even though she really didn't want him to, and if she knew, Jade was very likely to have told her sisters about it.

Though none of them said anything to her.

The more she thought, the more Mary-Lynnette realised that every time Kestrel was told to describe her dress to people she would always say it was something different. Which could mean one of two things: one she didn't have one and two, the most likely, she wanted to keep it a secret from everyone else until the day.

The second was more likely with over-prepared Kestrel.

As Mary-Lynnette dragged herself from class to class the next morning, she realised there was a large crowd of people around the notice board outside the reception.

"Oi Carter!" Yelled a female voice from the crowd.

Terri Brandon appeared, with all of her orange, low cut, thighs showing-ness and strode to Mary-Lynnette's shoulder.

"How an earth did you and your weirdo friends get sat at our table!" Paige Bridge, one of her duo of dopy sidekicks, nearly orange as her master, though her skirt sat slightly lower over is spindle legs.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Mary-Lynnette said honestly, what were they on about?

Terri opened her mouth to answer but Kestrel dragged Mary-Lynnette off outside.

"It appears that Emma still hasn't decided she likes me," Kestrel fumed, fire in her gorgeous eyes.

"Oh,"

Mary-Lynnette's old best friend, Emma, had been very jealous of Kestrel since she had decided to enroll in High School like Jade. Emma used to be the girl every guy loved, knowing there was always a chance; but since Kestrel appeared, all the attention had been turned to her instead.

Mary-Lynnette couldn't blame the male population of her school though, being a vampire, Kestrel did get a lot of attention.

"What was the table-setting-people thinking?" Screeched Bunny from behind Mary-Lynnette, she came over, stopping her little feet on the way.

"What is going on?" Mary-Lynnette looked from Kestrel to Bunny and back again.

"We've been sat with The Oranges," They complained together.

"WHAT!"

The Oranges are what the three of them called Terri, Paige and Laura, due to the fact that was the colour of their skin; and they had about as much brains and personality as one between them, Bunny had once said.

**MaresProm**

Mark knew very well when his sister was in a bad mood, on these days he chose to go out and stay out for as long as possible. Today he was lying on the top of Mary-Lynnette's star gazing hill, with Jade.

"The Oranges?" Jade broke off from Mark's neck and rested her head on his chest.

"It's what Mare refers to them as," Mark sighed; massaging the almost healed puncture wounds near is jugular.

Jade saw the movement, and looked up at Mark.

"Did I take too much?" she asked, a little nervous.

Mark laughed, "No, no, I'm just thinking, that's all."

"Oh?"

"Did Ash send Mare that dress?"

Jade sat up, "What dress?"

"The one I showed you, the black and red one."

"I don't know, Ash hasn't contacted – " Jade cut off.

"What's wrong?" Mark shot to his feet and looked around.

"Jade it's me! Call your Soulmate down, you know I won't hurt you!" Called a voice from down the hill.

"James!" Jade flew down the hill and jumped into her cousins arms, as James carried her back up over one shoulder.

Mark watched bewildered.

"James," The boy offered his hand to Mark, "Jade's – "

"I know you," Mark accepted the hand, confused.

"Why are you here Jamie?" Jade asked.

"One, I'm not Jamie, Two, We have a surprise planned for your sisters, and we were hoping you two could help us."

**MaresProm**

Mary-Lynnette's father was clearly wrong, you can't talk everything out. No matter how much you want or need to. Clearly these girls were doing anything and everything in there power to make Mary-Lynnette's life a complete misery, and there was nothing she could do about it. Kestrel said she would 'Do an Ash' and rip their throats out all over their not-so-even fake tans. Bunny didn't get the inside joke, but she still liked the idea very much, and if she was completely honest, so did Mary-Lynnette.

What made things even worse, was that Emma had made Daisy and Lauran think the same way she did, which is why she didn't write down any of their names when they were told to write the table lists. Mary-Lynnette had only found that out when Bunny coxed it out of her in English, where they sit next to each other.

Sometimes, Mary-Lynette couldn't help but think that maybe she could only be friends with the supernatural and ditz's like Bunny.

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_I apologies for the awfulness and shortness of this is chappy I am so sorry, but I had to do some character explaining that will be elaborated in later chapters._

_Thanks again to xxx Queen Of Slayers xxx for the help you gave me for this fic._

_Please comment, it makes me happy!_

_Queen-sarcasm_

_xXx _


	4. AUTHORS NOTE

_**AUTHORS NOTE**_

_I am so sorry that I haven't updated in a while, I had chapter four written, but it has vanished somewhere so I need to write it again, so please give me some time to re-write._

_Also, I need some kind of song that Ash can sing to Mary-Lynnette, I don't want some kind of cheesy mushy love song as that is not in their characters, I did have a song in mind but I have forgotten it. (I can't tell you why now but you will know soon I promise!)_

_Please be patient while I write!_

_I do have chapter five written so that will be up quickly after I finish four to make up for it._

_Queen-sarcasm_

_xXx_


	5. Looking Amazing

**Chapter Four – Looking Amazing**

_Thank you to all of the comments and subscribers for this fic! It makes me really happy!_

_I am so sorry about the stupidly long delay!_

_The next chapter should be up quicker as I wrote it before this one._

_*Laughs*_

_DISCLAIMER – I'm still not Lisa I'm afraid_

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Kestrel was slipping the final clips into Bunny's hair as Mary-Lynnette came into the room.

She had finally confessed about the dress she thought Ash had sent her, she felt like she had to wear it for him, and Bunny didn't seem down about her not wearing her dress, she was, on the contrary, elated at the beauty of what Mary-Lynnette had been sent.

And Kestrel was still insisting that she had no idea where it had came from, even though Mary-Lynnette had told her of her suspicions.

Claudine entered Mary-Lynnette's room, where the three of them where getting ready, holding Bunny's dress.

"Are you done yet, Kestrel?" she asked.

"All done," Kestrel removed the towel from over the mirror and allowed Bunny to almost faint in shock that someone had managed to control her hair and half carried her to Claudine so she could help Bunny change.

"You turn now Miss Carter," Kestrel put the towel back over the mirror as Mary-Lynnette fearfully lowered herself into the chair, dragging the elastic band out of her wet hair.

"Why do you use an elastic band? It is awful for the roots." Kestrel complained, spraying something out of a bottle on Mary-Lynnette's hair.

"And why do you insist on the towel?"

"Easy, so you see only the final product silly, and you won't, in theory, fidget as much if you can't see what I am doing."

Mary-Lynnette fell silent and let Kestrel dry her hair and straighten it, after another spray from a different bottle.

"What about you?" Mary-Lynnette asked as she eyed Kestrel's dark hair enviously.

"Hmmm?" Kestrel had a mouth full of pins.

"Who is doing your hair and makeup?" Mary-Lynnette asked, "Well hair" she corrected glancing at her flawless skin.

"Oh," Kestrel grinned widely, "don't you worry about that."

"What are you wearing?"

Kestrel just smiled wider and continued to straighten Mary-Lynnette's hair.

Both Bunny and Mary-Lynnette kept asking Kestrel randomly what she was planning on wearing, hoping she would slip, it never worked. Kestrel would just grin at them and change the subject.

Ten minutes later Bunny re-appeared, wobbling slightly on the pale pink stilettos that she had borrowed from Jade. Mary-Lynnette had never seen her wear them, so she guessed that she brought them for the occasion.

Bunny's white dress floated down just past her knees, a pair of tan tights covered her legs, the little bows on the hairclips matching the ones on the dress.

"You look so cute!" Mary-Lynnette looked around at her, before turning back to the covered mirror.

"No need, I'm done." Kestrel laughed at the shocked look on Mary-Lynnette's face, it had taken nearly two hours to get Bunny's right.

Mary-Lynnette looked into the now revealed mirror. Kestrel had put random deep red highlights though her hair; making it shimmer in different lights. It sat very long looking down to nearly the center of her back perfectly straight. Mary-Lynnette hadn't noticed that he had let her hair get that long; she normally just tied it up and left in there.

"The highlights are temporary, but if you like them I can do them properly." Kestrel read the expression on Mary-Lynnette's face.

"Dress up time!" Bunny grabbed Mary-Lynnette and dragged her from the room, and down the hall to her father and Claudine's room.

**MaresProm**

"Breath in!" Bunny complained.

"She doesn't need to," Claudine pulled the ribbons tighter.

Bunny and Claudine had been arguing all afternoon about how the ribbons would be tied, so both of them were not on the best terms with each other.

Mary-Lynnette had bigger problems.

The dress was made of very think velvet, and because of that she knew that she would be very hot in it. And the fact that it was June. **(A.N. That's when I had mine, so that's when they are having theirs) **Neither of them seemed to have noticed this problem.

And neither, apparently, had Ash.

"Done!" Bunny and Claudine gasped together, finally deciding.

Mary-Lynnette looked at herself in the full length mirror and was shocked by what she saw reflected towards her.

Her shock was over as soon as the door re-opened to reveal Kestrel.

Her long dark hair was pulled back into a sleek knot at the back of her neck, the simple black dress she wore hovered above her knees and plunged into her chest.

Simple, yet fabulous, just like Kestrel.

"You look amazing!" Kestrel, Bunny and Mary-Lynnette all gasped together, the three of them looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

A horn honked outside.

"That's our ride." Kestrel hugged Claudine, grabbed Bunny and Mary-Lynnette and dragged them down the stairs. She stopped at the door to let Mary-Lynnette and Bunny put their shoes on.

Stepping out of the front door Mary-Lynnette discovered a black stretch limousine parked outside her house. The driver climbed out of car and opened the door that was ten foot behind him and smiled sweetly towards her as Bunny and Kestrel clambered inside.

Mary-Lynnette looked towards the driver, who was smiling widely, and followed Kestrel into the back.

Inside there was an array of empty crystal bottles. Bunny stretched over to investigate.

"Wow, Kes, this must have cost you a fortune to hire!" Bunny held up the bottle to the light and watched as rainbows of light shone across the black leather interior.

Kestrel laughed, "No, No I didn't pay for it."

Mary-Lynnette caught the bottle before it hit the ground after it slipped though Bunny's fingers.

"WHAT!" Bunny screeched. The driver laughed, Kestrel joined in.

"This is Phil, he's a cousin of mine, we've never met before now - "

"WHAT!!" Bunny tried to stand but her head hit the roof of the car and she sat back down.

" - we've spoke on the phone, and I know his sister," Kestrel looked at Bunny's still shocked face, "he means no harm."

Bunny didn't look convinced.

" cousin?" Mary-Lynnette asked.

"Distant cousin," Phil's voice came from the front voice.

"Oh, so you're not a - " Mary-Lynnette didn't finish her sentence, but Phil knew what she meant.

Phil laughed, "Oh no, no, no! My sister is though."

"Made?"

"Hu hu." Phil stopped at traffic lights.

There was horse and carriage on the road next to them.

The three girls stared at it in shock.

Inside the carriage was a rainbow of colours, all with orange faces.

The four of them burst out laughing.

The lights changed colour and the horse and cart fell behind the speeding car.

The four of them laughed all the way to the venue.

Once they pulled up outside, Phil climbed out of the front seat, trying to calm down enough to look professional, and opened the door. He offered a hand to Bunny, who looked at it, sneering, but seeing all of the people outside, she took it and got out. Phil offered his hand to Mary-Lynnette next, which she accepted and followed Bunny.

Phil's hand was still connected to Kestrels, they were looking at each other with a mixture of confusion and relief, they smiled at each other and Kestrel got out, flushing slightly.

Mary-Lynnette recognised the look of admiration, obsession and affection in Kestrel's eyes that she always saw with Mark and Jade. Bunny didn't see it.

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_Again, I am so sorry for the long delay! This is a very long chapter for me so I hope it's alright and that remotely makes up for it!_

_Oooh Phil and Kestrel, I'm not planning on writing much about the two of them, but I thought it was cute._

_The song will be in the next couple of chapters so can we stop recommendations please, not that I don't love them, you're just making it hard for me to choose!!!_

_Thank you for your patience!_

_Queen-sarcasm_

_xXx_


	6. Tiny Black Diamonds

**Tiny Black Diamonds**

_So here is the next chapter for you! I am so pleased that all of you like it so much; it makes me what to write more, I am sorry for the delay between the chapters; I get really bad cases of writers block and my computer has a bit of a habit of deleting chapters._

_Most of this was written in a very unproductive Graphics lesson, shows how much time I have and how much attention my teachers pay to me._

_DISCLAIMER – If you hadn't have guessed; I am not L.J. Smith so I do not own Night World, but I wouldn't mind if I did own Ash._

_So here it is!_

* * *

The hall in which the Prom was held was a large, brightly lit room with a window as the whole of the opposite wall. Two thirds of the room was covered in round tables with numbers on them, big enough to fit the six people needed to eat together. Kestrel had said she had away around the whole 'I don't eat' thing, so Mary-Lynnette just accepted it, knowing that she wouldn't lie to her.

Mary-Lynnette watched as everyone took their seats around the correct tables and followed them in pursuit. She discovered that Terri, Laura, and Paige had already taken their places at the table. The rainbow of colours that had arrived in a horse and cart.

Terri in a vivid blue dress, Paige in a bright yellow and Laura in florescent orange. All the same style with matching stupid tan lines, more orange than usual for the occasion, making poor Laura look like a Satsuma with the lace and frills that covered the dress.

Kestrel slid into the seat beside Paige.

Bunny looked at Mary-Lynnette, her eyes saying 'please let me sit next to Kestrel', sighing, Mary-Lynnette took the seat beside Laura.

"I never imagined you as a gothic kinda person Mary," Terri smirked down at Mary-Lynnette's dress.

"Her boyfriend brought it for her," Kestrel butted in before Mary-Lynnette could answer, "and its Mare, not Mary." she added, flicking her long dark hair from out of her eyes.

"Boyfriend?!" The three girls said together.

"Yes," Bunny caught on to Kestrel's plan, "He's tall, dark and handsome."

"Not really," Kestrel laughed, "he's blonde"

Bunny and Kestrel laughed.

"What's his name?" Paige lent forward, blowing her cigarette smelling breath all over Mary-Lynnette.

"Ash." She relied, trying to breathe, knowing she would choke.

"Ash hey, short for Ashley? Do I know him?" Laura asked, now genuinely curious.

Mary-Lynnette thought for a moment, _is_ Ash short for Ashley, but catching Kestrels gaze she realised that it wasn't.

"No it isn't, and you don't know him."

"How did you - " Paige began, but she got interrupted by the arrival of the food.

A blonde boy put the plates before Mary-Lynnette and Bunny without even asking if they were the ones who wanted the Vegetarian option.

"Thanks David," Kestrel flashed her sparking teeth at him.

"No problem, miss," the boy, David, hid a smirk on _miss_.

The rainbow of colours looked at Kestrel shocked, so shocked in fact that they didn't notice that their own food had been placed in front of them by a very attractive waiter, or the fact Kestrel didn't get any.

Mary-Lynnette stared at there waiter in fear, he was Quinn, Ash's friend from before, he must have noticed the glace, as he smiled down at her, and flashed a black Rose ring on his index finger at her, it matched Kestrels, Mary-Lynnette relaxed.

Quinn no longer meant any harm to her, which was one less thing she had to worry about.

"That's really nice!" Terri suddenly announced.

Mary-Lynnette looked into the plate of chicken; she couldn't see what could be so pretty about it.

Bunny picked up her fork and stabbed at her pasta bitterly, a frown spread across her face.

"Terri's right!" Paige, to Mary-Lynnette's shock, lent back over to her, looking into her food rather than Terri's.

Mary-Lynnette looked down; sitting on to of her pasta was a ring, the same as Quinn's and the Redfern sister's one.

Mary-Lynnette used her fork to pick up the ring, and noticed that it didn't have any of the tomato sauce on it.

Kestrel nodded.

Mary-Lynnette pulled the ring onto the correct finger and looked at in the spotlight that was above the table, she noticed that it had tiny black diamonds embedded into its surface, as it sparkled in the light.

"I bet it's fake," Paige broke the awed silence as she picked up another piece of chicken and put it into her mouth.

She never liked the attention off herself.

Terri, Laura and Paige had their conversation. Mary-Lynnette, Kestrel and Bunny had theirs.

Mary-Lynnette was beginning to get suspicious that none of the Florissant colours noticed that Kestrel wasn't eating.

**MARESPROM**

When the main course was taken away, by waitresses this time, one of which Kestrel moved away from as she picked up Bunny's empty plate. No one but Mary-Lynnette seemed to notice the movement.

The pudding was slices of melon, halved strawberries and a chocolate dip, all very creatively spread across the plate.

Kestrel laughed.

Mary-Lynnette looked down into her plate.

Her slices had been placed in the shape of a smiling face with strawberries as fangs.

She laughed too.

Laura looked at the plate.

"How come yours gets to be a vampire?" She complained sarcastically, "I want mine to be." She sulked.

"Here then," Terri moved the carefully laid slices on Laura's plate and put them in the same places as the ones that Mary-Lynnette had.

The orange faces laughed, making an irritating high pitched noise.

"Why aren't you eating? Surely you don't need to loose more weight, there's none of you," Terri looked down at the empty space and untouched cutlery in front of Kestrel.

Kestrel blinked around at her.

"I did, you just didn't see me," She stared into Terri's eyes.

"Oh," Terri sounded slightly dazed, "Oh OK,"

Terri rose from her seat and her friends followed her, looking back at Kestrel confused.

Mary-Lynnette looked at her.

Kestrel had never shown her powers in front of her before, and now she uses them in front of their whole school?

Kestrel grinned at Mary-Lynnette.

"Attention everyone attention!" The headmaster's voice came though the large speakers that were attached to the walls, "The live band is about to start! So if everyone will give them a warm welcome. This is the Circle Daybreak!"

Mary-Lynnette let a gasp escape though her lips.

The Circle Daybreak; that was where Ash was.

Kestrel seemed to be thinking along the same lines, as she grabbed Mary-Lynnette's hand and dragged her to the dance floor that was the other third of the room.

Mary-Lynnette watched as an attractive brunette, who was around sixteen, took the microphone of the headmaster.

"Hey there guys," he spoke nervously into the microphone.

Everyone screamed excitedly up at him.

"I am not meant to be the one talking to you," he continued when the crowd calmed slightly, "but our front man has gone walk-abouts again so you will have to be stuck with my vocal chords instead."

He hesitated.

"I'm James; this is Eric," he gestured to the boy behind him, holding a base, "on the drums back there is Quinn," Quinn lifted his drumsticks above his head to show he was there, "Galen on guitar," she pointed out the other guitarist.

"I am not a singer so I apologize for my voice before I get booed of the stage."

The audience laughed.

"So for our first song - "

Mary-Lynnette didn't hear the song title, she sensed that someone had just attempted to sneak in though the glass doors on the other side of the room.

"There he is!" Eric called from the stage, "Ash! Get up here now!"

* * *

_Wow, that was a really long chapter for me…_

_I know a band is really cheesy and pathetic but I have good reason for it I promise!_

_Thanks again for the song recommendations._

_Please review, it makes me happy!_

_Queen-sarcasm_

_xXx_


	7. Up In The Stars

**Up In The Stars**

_I am so sorry that it took me so long to update! I get writers block and it was so hard to choose a song! But now that is out of the way I can get to after that._

_hippyprincess123 – I know they are cousins, but they are distant so that's different; but I get what you are saying._

_Thank you to everyone who is reviewing and liking my writing!_

_Again I am so sorry for taking so long to update! I will be quicker next time I promise!_

_**A.N. This chapter didn't seem to want to stay up, so here it is again for anyone who didn't see it!**_

_So here's the chapter!_

* * *

Ash grinned widely as he saw every head in the room turn to him, the females with wide adoring eyes, the males with impatience and annoyance. One face in particular stood out to him, beside the confused gaze of his younger sister, was the shocked expression of the only reason he was going to get up on this stage and make an idiot of himself.

As he strode past, he brushed past Mary-Lynnette's arm and felt the familiar jolt of electricity that meant Soulmate contact, she smiled up at him. He beamed back.

Ash jumped onto the stage, and slipped straight into character.

"Hello students, teachers and stalkers of - " Ash trailed off, the crowd laughed, "Anyway," Ash cut of the laughter, acting serious, "thank you for you patience while I make myself presentable,"

Ash interacted to the black waistcoat with matching pants (A.N. That felt weird to type...) and tie and his white shirt which he wore half unbuttoned to show of his crafted chest.

"As Eric kindly yelled across the room, I am Ash. Now, enough of my chatting."

He took a deep breath and got eye contact with a giggling Quinn from the other side of the room.

'_I'll show you'_ Ash thought to him.

Quinn looked up confused, still laughing.

Ash laughed and began:

_Look in these eyes  
We know each other like our own skin and bones  
We know the scars,  
how they got where they are, in places no one else knows.  
_

Ash saw Mary-Lynnette's shocked expression in the crowd.

'_Oh Goddess!'_ Jade thought.

Quinn was stunned silent.

None of them knew he could sing.

_  
If you call this love, then show me some feeling  
and if it all goes numb, just keep on breathing.__When the colors run, then all of the shapes blend.  
Oh, you know there's still a ways to go, so don't start retreating  
No, you just gotta take it slow  
When you're lost and all out of breath just call and I'll come running baby_

I'll watch you falling from me  
When you hit the ground, maybe you'll see  
The only way to fall is down  
I'll be up in the stars  
but I'll be anywhere you are  
just say you need me and I'll come down

We'll never know, We'll never ever know if you just let it go

If it comes undone, then tie up your loose ends.

I'll watch you falling from me  
When you hit the ground maybe you'll see  
The only way to fall is down  
and I'll be up in the stars  
but I'll be anywhere you are  
just say you need me and I'll come down

The days go by...

Ash leapt from the stage, and left the room, knowing that Mary-Lynnette would follow. He wove though all of the cheering crowd and ignored his encore.

Once is the unnaturally cool June air, he turned and found himself having eye contact with Mary-Lynnette.

"You can walk in heels?"

"Your a fan of Swimming With Dolphins."

Ash laughed, "Good come back…" he rubbed the back of his neck, "how've you been?" he asked awkwardly.

"Impatient, waiting for my Dragon Slayer to return to me."

Ash blinked. No sarcastic remark.

Mary-Lynnette laughed at his confused expression. Ash joined in, taking her hand and leading her from the building.

"How do I look?" Mary-Lynnette broke the silence.

"Whatever I say you will think I don't mean it."

Mary-Lynnette laughed, "I guess."

"You like it?"

Mary-Lynnette caught on instantly.

"I knew it was from you!"

It was Ash's turn to laugh, "who else?"

Mary-Lynnette threw her arms around Ash's neck.

"I love you."

"I love you too." Ash buried his head in her neck.

Mary-Lynnette felt the two fangs spilt her skin, and opened her mind to it.

* * *

_Mary-Lynnette may seem__ OOC in this chapter, but she really missed Ash!_

_Congrats to vampgirl75 for their song choice – _

_Up In The Stars: Swimming With Dolphins._

_Commiserations to leila4195, vampgirl75, Veronica9997, spoiled2theCore and babygirl555 for their brilliant ideas but someone had to win._

_Because this chapter is so short and awful I will put up another one really soon, probably this week sometime, as I have already written it._

_Thanks for reading,_

_Please R&R_

_queen-sarcasm_

_xXx_


	8. The Noisy Game

**The Noisy Game**

_As the last chapter was so short and bad I wanted to get this one out quickly, so you wouldn't have to end on such a low._

_Thank you for sticking by me while I write, I should be revising for my exams, but I have time for that later._

_DISLAIMER – I do not own Night World or its characters. I only own Terri, Laura and Paige._

_WARNING – Hints at lemon_

_------------------_

The brightness was the first thing Mary-Lynnette noticed inside Ash's mind. Before it had always been so dark, so scary, but now she knew she cold look anywhere and Ash would explain it too her.

_You've literally been slaying _Dragons_?_

Mary-Lynette heard Ash's mental laugh

_No, others have been, and it was only the one Dragon anyways._

Mary-Lynnette looked deeper and discovered he was right.

_Who's house? It is beautiful._

_Theirry's. It took a lot of guts for me to go to him after everything I've done._

_But you did it._

_I did._

_That's Quinn!_

Ash laughed again.

_Yep, and if you think us being soulmates was strange, he is paired with a vampire hunter._

_A _vampire hunter_? Ash – _

_Don't worry! She won't hurt us. She only kills the bad guys._

_The Circle Midnight._

_Yes._

"We have to move." Ash pulled back and murmured into Mary-Lynnette's neck.

"_Why?"_ She asked telepathically.

"Because we have company."

Sure enough there was the sound of clattering heels and female voices.

Ash's eyes lit up with a mischievous excitement.

"Want to play a game?" he grinned.

---------

Laura was struggling to walk in the ridiculous heels that Terri had put her in. What normal person can walk in 6 inch heels, really?

Paige went though her bag and pulled out a bottle in a paper bag and drank from it, before handing to Terri, who did the same.

Terri handed the bottle over to Laura. Who pretended to drink the foul smelling liquid inside the bottle; before handing it back to Paige, who drank from it again and put it back in her bag.

"Give us one, Elle." Terri spotted the packet in Laura's hand.

"But I need them for myself!" Laura attempted to persuade Terri, but the older girl wasn't listening.

"You wouldn't need them if it wasn't for me." Terri pulled the, 'you were nothing before you met me, now look at you' card again.

Paige wasn't paying any attention to the argument; she was staring at a car metres from them.

"Tez –" She tired to interrupt.

"Not now Pay! I'm – "

She cut off at the sound of laughter.

Terri and Laura turned to the limo.

"Mare?" A male voice asked.

"Ash." A female answered seductively.

The girls looked at each other. They knew the female voice.

"You said that – " The male, Ash, began.

"I lied."

"What are you – "

The girl laughed.

Silence.

"OUCH!" The male screamed.

The girl giggled.

Silence.

The male voice was still there, but there were no coherent words from him.

Only noises.

That got louder.

"Go and look." Terri hissed in Laura's ear.

"WHAT!?" Laura was outraged at the thought.

CRASH!

"Oww!" The female voice complained.

"Are you okay?" The male asked, breathless.

"Go look outside."

"What? But –"

"GO!"

"Fine.

There was a sound of movement inside the car.

Paige ran.

Or tried to, she fell in her heels.

The car door opened to reveal a shirtless, dishevelled blonde boy. When upright you could see his crafted chest in the semi-darkness.

He was gorgeous.

He didn't seem at all surprised to see them.

"Problem?" He asked in a voice that said this was a normal situation to him.

"Erm – " Terri was stunned into silence.

"Is your mate alright?" he asked Laura, nodding in the direction of Paige, who was still on the floor.

"She's fine," Laura was surprised at how strong her voice was, she was never like this around attractive men, "she's a bit drunk."

"Oh, I getcha."

"You're Ash!" Paige found her voice.

The boy, Ash, turned to her.

"Why yes I am." He grinned, showing a mouth of sparkling white teeth.

"Ash?" Mary-Lynnette Carter's head appeared through the window.

Ash turned to look at her, "I'll be back in a sec."

Ash walked straight up to Laura.

"You know you are much better than this, you don't need them," he nodded to Paige and Terri, "you can be your own person."

Ash turned around and headed back to the car.

"You!" Terri had recovered from her speechlessness.

"What about me?" Ash turned around to look at her.

"You're the one from the club."

"Club? I go to many."

"The flower one – the strange one – the one full of fit people – "

"Oh!" Ash caught on, "It appears that you became a victim of the Midnight, I do apologise."

"What?"

Ash just laughed, turned back around and opened the car door.

"You took my virginity."

* * *

_Dun dun dun! Lol._

_This chapter is a lot longer than the last, so I hope you liked it._

_That was my first attempt at writing something like that, so if you are confused I will explain to you. Please tell me what I've done right/wrong and what I can do to improve in the reviews._

_Thank you so much for reading._

_I hope it was as funny for you to read as it was for me to write!_

_queensarcasm_

_xxx_


	9. Orange Girl Has A Name

**Orange Girl Has A Name**

_I am so so so so sorry that I have not updated in so long. I have had writers block and I re-wrote this chapter so many times and I am still not happy with it._

_DISCLAIMER – I do not own Night World, only Terri, Laura and Paige._

_On with the chapter._

Mary-Lynnette was sat in a stunned silence.

_Did he? Really? I knew he had done things he had regretted, but – _

_I have no idea if I did or not _Replied Ash's mental voice _I didn't used to be fussy about who I slept with, as long as I could bite them and they were thick enough not to know what was happening._

"I think I would no if I did." Ash commented aloud.

"It was you. I know it was." Terri's voice was getting stronger now.

"I doubt it. It was my mate who took virginities, not me." Ash made it sound so causal.

_Was this one of the things he didn't want me to know?_

_Mare, _Ash attempted to reason with her, _can I finish this argument and then explain to you what is going on?_

_Fine. You better._

_Thank you._

"Do I need to escort these ladies off of the premises, Ash?" Quinn walked up to them.

"No, it's fine. I would just like you to explain to this – " Ash hesitated and looked Terri up and down, "Lovely lady that I have nothing to do with her sex life."

Quinn laughed.

"You better not have!" Kestrel appeared behind Quinn, she stood right in front of her brother, from Mary-Lynnette's angle she could see the grin on her face, but only Ash and herself could.

"Kestrel – "

"Don't! If you have caught something off that – " she inclined her head in Terri's direction.

Ash, Mary-Lynnette and Quinn all laughed. That wasn't possible.

"I can assure you, baby sis, that I have never met this girl before, and I have no idea what she is talking about."

"_Baby sister_?" The attention switched back to Terri, who was now alone.

"Yes, this is my big brother," Kestrel hugged Ash around the waist, "Now keep your filthy orange hands off him, or I will rip you head off." Kestrel put on a sweet smile, "got it?"

Terri looked around, on realising she was alone, turned and ran.

"Ash?" Kestrel disconnected herself from Ash.

"No, No I didn't, I have never met her in my life" Ash turned to Quinn.

"Me neither. No point asking me." Quinn shrugged, and headed back inside, Kestrel behind him.

Ash got back in the car.

Mary-Lynnette was leaning against the seats at the far end.

She looked distracted.

"What are you thinking?" Ash crawled towards her.

She didn't answer.

_Mare?_

Mary-Lynnette threw up walls.

"Mare?" Ash sat beside her, and put an arm over her shoulder. "I wasn't lying you know, I have never met that orange girl before."

"I believe you."

_Thank Goddess_, Ash thought, _I _have _never met her before._

"Then why are you ignoring me?"

"I'm not.

"Yes you are."

"No, I am staring at you."

"Oh," Ash relaxed, "that's alright then." He laughed.

Mary-Lynnette ran a hand over the thin pink mark that was clear in the lights of the car. It was about 10 centimetres in length and stretched diagonally downwards.

"What's this?"

Ash looked down at the scar.

"Me and my cousin got in a fight," Ash clearly didn't want to talk about it. So Mary-Lynette didn't press the issue.

She ran her hand over his chest, feeling the muscles beneath her hands, her other hand pulled Ash's head to her own chest.

Ash didn't complain.

"Just so you know 'that orange girl' has a name."

Ash laughed.

"It's Terri."

"I will remember that," Ash grinned. Mary-Lynnette missed that about Ash, his smile, the 'I am planning something that will get someone in trouble' smile.

Mary-Lynette and Ash sat in silence for a while.

-----

"Hey."

Kestrel turned around to see Phil approach her; he perched on the end of the wall that she was sat on.

"Do I know you?" They asked together.

They both laughed.

"You're Poppy's brother." It was a statement.

"Yes, I am, how did you know that?"

"I don't know." Kestrel looked away.

"You are Ash's sister."

"I am."

There was a pause.

"Aren't you from California?"

"Yes."

"How did you get here?"

"Helicopter."

Kestrel looked at him, shocked.

"Thierry." Phil explained.

"Oh."

Another pause.

"What happened earlier? The contact?" Phil finally asked the question Kestrel had wanted to.

"I don't know," she answered honestly.

"It wasn't the Soulmate policy." Phil shuffled closer to her.

"I don't think so."

"Then what was it?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"Redfern." Kestrel and Phil looked up at Paige, who had appeared, covered in mud.

Phil attempted to disguise a snort as a cough and failed.

"Yes," Kestrel stood up.

"Give this to your brother's _girlfriend_." Paige put a lot of etherises on 'girlfriend'.

She handed over a pale pink envelope.

"Don't read it." Paige left.

Kestrel opened the envelope and a load of pink heart confetti fell out. She ignored it and read the letter.

"What is it?" Phil stood up, reading over her shoulder.

"A party invite. Mare wouldn't go, she hates the orange faces."

"But Ash would, and she knows that." Phil looked at Kestrel, who smirked, making her look a lot like her older brother.

----

Quinn kicked the dish washer door shut and jumped up to sit on top of it. Watching James pile a load of table cloths into a washing machine.

"I can't believe he is making us do all of this work!" Morgead entered the room, dropping rubbish into a bin, "Humans really are filthy animals."

"Careful mate," James hopped on the side next to Quinn, "people will think you are a Midnighter."

"And humans do have ears!" David complained, stretching his arm.

Eric laughed and climbed up to sit on the other side of Quinn.

"So when are the others getting here?" James looked at his watch.

"Jez said between two and three." Morgead perched on the counter opposite the others.

"Looks like we have a lot of work to do then." Eric got down from the counter and headed for door.

"Good to see someone is excited," Quinn leapt from his seat and followed Eric grumpily.

-----

"Mare?" Ash broke the silence.

"Yes?" Mary-Lynnette asked, stroking his hair.

"How did you believe me so quickly? I thought it would take a lot more than that."

"Because I trust you, Ash, and I love you."

"And you know that it was very likely." Ash tilted his head upwards.

"And that."

"I'm sorry." Ash moved back.

"You have made mistakes, Ash. Huge ones. And you know it. But you have learnt from them, and became a better person because of it."

Ash smiled.

"I mean it," Mary-Lynette moved Ash's head so she could look at him properly, "I love you."

"I know you do." Ash's smile faded, "But you deserve so much better than me. After everything that I've done –"

Mary-Lynnette shut him up with a kiss.

Ash rolled over to land on top of Mary-Lynnette, his hands running slowly up her leg as the kiss deepened.

Mary-Lynnette didn't complain.

_Sorry for all of the talking! The next one will be very talky too, so I am sorry in advance!_

_A rather long chapter compared to some of them. _

_I know Mary-Lynnette is more likely to complain, but not right now._

_**I am re-writing the next chapter, so it will not be up for a while.**_

_Until then please review and tell me what you think!_

_Queen-sarcasm_

_xxx_


	10. Meeting The Circle

**Meeting The Circle**

_Thank you for sticking with me through my writers block! _

_This chapter isn't very exciting, but Mary-Lynnette needed to meet the Circle and I thought this would work._

_Anyway - _

_DISCLAIMER - I am not L.J. Smith._

Hannah accepted Thierry's hand as she got out of the back of the Limo. She still held the hand as she walked though the parking lot towards the building their meeting was set to be held in. A figure came running out it.

"We are just setting up the chairs now, Sir, how many do we need?" David asked him, stopping half way.

"Around twenty. If we need more, we can draw more." Thierry answered, walking straight past him, "And call me Thierry."

"Of course, Thierry." David jogged back to catch up.

Gillian opened the door when they reached it.

David put an arm around her and followed Thierry and Hannah into the hall.

The hall itself had been rearranged to there was four tables lined up next to each other, chairs around the edges. The rest of the tables, and unused chairs were stacked on top of each other and had then been pushed to the edges of the room.

Thierry took his seat at the head of the table and Hannah sat beside him.

James, Poppy, Phil, Thea, Eric, Gillian, David, Rashel, Quinn, Jez, Morgead, Maggie, Delos, Illana and Keller took their seats around the table.

Kestrel hovered around, not knowing what to do.

"Sit here, Kestrel," Jez patted the seat beside her.

Kestrel took it, thankfully.

"Erm… Thanks…"

"No problem."

No one seemed at all confused about why she was there, and no one said anything to her, so she calmed down a bit. She guessed Ash had told them everything; sometimes she did really did love her idiot of a brother.

"Where's Ash?" Poppy looked around the table.

"Who knows." James moaned. Knowing his cousin, he was going to show up fashionably late as always.

"No need to fear, Poppy, I am here." Ash strode into the room and took his seat beside his sister, "why are you here?" he asked her.

Kestrel didn't know what to say.

"She is a part of this circle, Ash, she belongs here." Hannah explained.

Ash accepted that without question, then and turned to face Thierry.

"What's the plan?"

"There is no plan," Thierry sighed, "We have nothing."

"We do have something." Hannah attempted to comfort him.

"What?" Quinn asked, "A year? There are millions of people who were born seventeen years ago."

Everyone knew Quinn was right, but nobody said anything about it.

"No need to be so pessimistic, Quinn" Illana turned on him, "If we have nothing, then surely neither do _they_."

A low conversation began.

"There must be some way of drawing the list down." Maggie looked at Delos.

"I don't know," the vampire prince bowed his head.

"Maybe the three Wild Powers we have can use some kind of power to figure out who the fourth is." Eric guessed wildly.

Delos, Illana and Jez exchanged glances, before turning to Thierry.

"You know Eric, that might work…" Delos turned to Thea. "Could you teach Illana a searching spell of some kind?"

"You need to know who you are searching for to do that." Thea said sadley.

"Would using their blood work?" all eyes turned to the door, where Mary-Lynnette was stood listening, "I mean there must be something in their blood that links them together somehow."

She approached the table and took the empty seat on the other side of Ash.

"Mary-Lynnette has a point," Morgead bit his lip.

"There are only four of us after all," Jez agreed.

"Can you make a searching spell using blood alone though? Or would you just find their families or something?" Rashel asked Thea.

"I have no blood family, not close anyway." Jez sighed.

"Me neither," Delos added, "all I have left is Hunter."

The low rumble of talk began again.

"I do," Illana looked crest fallen.

"We know who they are, so we can search for an anomaly." Gillian smiled at her.

As the circle discussed how such a spell would work Mary-Lynnette listened, not understanding, but watching everyone as they spoke. She felt very out of place, but one of them had called her by her name, which meant Ash talked about her. Thinking of Ash made her glance sideways at him. His blonde hair was falling in his eyes as he talked animatedly to the beautiful blond girl sat opposite him.

Looking around the table Mary-Lynette noticed they were all beautiful, she found it almost hard to believe that some of these people were human, she could tell who the vampires were no problem.

The one who called her by her name, Morgead, she had learnt. Ash's friend Quinn who was in many of the memories Ash tried to hide from her, the one at the head of the table, Thierry, their leader. The girl with bright green eyes beside her soulmate, both looked about 16, but they were vampires, they could be any age.

Three of the girls had violet eyes, the way they were talking told her they were witches.

The others she couldn't tell what species they were, any of them could be human, Shapeshifter, werewolf or other witches. She didn't know.

"_Mare?"_ Ash's telepathic voice made her stop staring, _"They want to introduce themselves to you."_

Mary-Lynette turned to him, he smiled.

"_Time to meet the Circle"_

_Lots of talking; but I wanted to make sure everyone was doing something, and that is hard with 20 characters in the same place at the same time._

_I thought Mary-Lynnette could be useful to them somehow._

_I know I missed loads of people, before you point that out to me._

_Tell me what you think of Mary-Lynnette's idea and if you think it would/should work or not._

_Thank you all for reading._

_Please review, reviews make me feel loved!_

_Queen-sarcasm_

_xxx_


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